Driving from Hilton Head to Raleigh, Lucca resolves to confront her handler. She marches into AAA Bail Bonds, ignores the receptionist, and faces an enraged Matt. Declaring his plan incompetent, she demands to speak directly with Mr. Smith and threatens to walk, betting on her results.

On speaker, then privately, Lucca explains she protected Andrew Marshall because he is incorruptible and would have quit if entrapped. Instead, she staged a cocktail gathering, sedated Andrew onto the balcony, and captured Senator Nelson’s sexual misconduct. She offers the flash drive and insists on reporting to Mr. Smith, not Matt.

Mr. Smith, skeptical yet impressed, agrees she’ll answer directly to him and immediately points her to a Florida assignment, instructing her to check into a Holiday Inn Express for details. Lucca returns Matt’s phone, leaves him an origami swan, and walks out, confident in her new status.

Lucca reflects that Andrew thanked her, offered future help, and remains clean. Simultaneously, packages go out: origami swans concealing compromising photos labeled “Hilton Head 2017.” With these, Lucca builds a roster of coerced allies—including a senator, congressmen, mayors, legislators, and Judge McIntyre—setting up favors she can call in, as she later did to avoid arrest in Raleigh.